Mumbai surgeons set straight teen’s spine

For Hafsa Ansari, 15-year-old daughter of a farmer from Aurangabad, life was difficult as she was suffering from adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

It is a condition that leads to abnormal curvature of the spine. Hafsa couldn’t even stand straight. However, a city-based hospital operated upon her at a low cost budget that helped her to stand straight on her feet.

Her spine was in S-shape and had 80-degree curve in the mid-back and a 68-degree curve in the low back. She had problem walking and writing also. The parents noticed their daughter’s deformity when she was 10-year-old and since then, had consulted an orthopaedic surgeon. However, the deformity progressed rapidly.

“The parents approached us but they were not so strong economically to afford the surgery, so we made concession in the budget,” said Dr Gautam Zaveri, spine surgeon at Jaslok Hospital. The surgery generally costs Rs 8 lakh but for her, we did it for Rs 3 lakh. The surgery was done in two stages. Her chest was initially opened and the spine was made more flexible by removing some of the intervertebral discs in her mid-back. The curve was also partially corrected using rods and screws. The chest was closed. Then her back was operated to correct her curves to leave 12-degree curve at both locations bringing the shoulders to the same level, and reducing the rib hump.

“The patient has recovered completely who is now going to school and soon she can also play,” said Mr Zaveri.